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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate the Belleville
4Diocese on their 125th anniversary; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The diocese honored its 125th anniversary by
6initiating Fanning the Flame, a diocesan initiative based in
7parishes and beyond to strengthen Catholics and those drawn to
8the Catholic faith by exploring the richness of the faith and
9responding to the Father's call to lifelong conversion of the
10whole person to holiness and eternal life; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The diocese of Belleville was erected by His
12Holiness, Pope Leo XIII on January 7, 1887; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The diocese of Belleville encompasses 28 counties
14with 117 parishes and has a Catholic population of 83,689; and
 
15    WHEREAS, There was a diocesan wide celebration through a
16Mass of Thanksgiving, which took place on Sunday, April 29,
172012 at the Cathedral of St. Peter; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The Mass of Thanksgiving allowed everyone to
19gather in the mother church of the diocese and give thanks to
20God for the gift of the Catholic faith lived out each day by

 

 

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1hundreds and thousands of faithful followers of Jesus Christ
2for a century and a quarter and to allow an outstanding member
3from each parish to be recognized; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Parish choirs came together for a Spirit-filled
5festival of music, which included a full spectrum of church
6music, sacred songs, and hymns presented by musicians across
7the diocese; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Everyone in the diocese was invited to participate
9in a renewed commitment to pray and work for vocations to the
10priesthood and the religious life; and
 
11    WHEREAS, A commemorative anniversary book has been edited
12by Father Stanley J. Konieczny to celebrate the Christian faith
13by sharing the faith stories of all 117 parishes in the diocese
14through photographs, testimonies, and highlights of the
15diocesan history; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Bishop Braxton invited all to join him in praying
17the Anniversary Prayer: "May we approach our Year of Jubilee
18with renewed faith. Please join me in praying for the
19well-being of all the Christian faithful of our local church.
20May we be blessed with an increase in vocations to the
21priesthood, to the diaconate, to the religious life, and to lay
22ecclesial ministry! May we imitate the firm faith of Saint

 

 

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1Peter, the rock on which Jesus Christ built His church and
2whose "Keys to Kingdom" grace our diocesan seal. May God grant
3us a renewed dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ. May we
4all love one another and all people as Christ loves us.";
5therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
7NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8we congratulate the Belleville Diocese on their 125h
9anniversary and wish them all the best in the future; and be it
10further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to the Belleville Diocese as a symbol of our respect
13and esteem.